To think that very few celebrities have the 'x factor'

[Bargaincatfood]

not an intellectual thread
Especially not most of those who won the show?! I remember the year 1direction were in it, my friends and I used to watch it before going out. We used to talk about the curly haired one, he wasn't that good looking, wasn't the best singer or the best dancer but my god was he mesmerising. Even my mum commented on him. Now he's the only one out of that insanely popular band with any semblance of a career.
It makes me think how few celebrities there are with that utterly mesmerising, star quality, where they're the only person you pay attention to on stage. It's hard to distinguish this from talent, obviously you pay attention to someone with an amazing voice. But that's not enough on it's own, as poor Leona found out.
I used to think it about Corrine Bailey Rae too, she was just so unique in tone and beautiful, but then she faded into oblivion so i mustn't have been in the majority.

Who has the X factor for you?

I don't think it's that there were more in the past, it's that we look back and see lots and see very few now; but actually they are sprinkled through 100 years of cinema and music where we might only have two or three people with genuine star quality at any one time.

Lots of the old Hollywood stars certainly seemed to have an aura around them which in unusual these days, the likes of Katherine Hepburn, Clark Gable, Cary Grant, Lauren Bacall, Marilyn Monroe etc.

I think it's because there was a certain 'aura' around them, and no-one was spilling their guts on social media and in the tabloids every five minutes. It's difficult to see someone as an icon if they've just posted a badly spelled IG story about how buff their beach bod is right now.

There ain't no mystery any more, and it's the mystery that's so alluring.

I think the opposite of Daniel Craig 🤣 He’s good looking but not knock out stunning (although I bet he is irl) and can look rough as hell if needed. But his charisma, part of which is his amazing eye colour, is what makes him really attractive

I’ve never thought Sean Connery was particularly good looking tbh hides

Sam Rockwell is an example of a modern star who has charisma for days. He’s average looking but amazingly charismatic on screen. That is what pushes him into being really attractive (being an excellent actor helps)

I always thought Robbie Williams had the X factor. Not the best singer, not especially good looking but such a great entertainer with an infectious personality. He's faded away a bit now though as well.

X post with Artesia - absolutely agree

I think part of it is that practically everyone has their 5 minutes of fame now especially through reality shows and talent shows like the X factor BGT etc.
Gone are the days where only a select few ( usually talented) people were famous.

@dozyrosie33

I always thought Robbie Williams had the X factor. Not the best singer, not especially good looking but such a great entertainer with an infectious personality. He's faded away a bit now though as well.

I'd have said this too.

How do you explain the success of Adele? She has now reached God-like status with every TV station here and in USA bowing down to her, Oprah interview, etc. This baffles me, what is it about her? Is she really any better at singing/performing than other current female singers?

To me, she doesn't have the X factor. That is a quality that draws you towards them like Kylie, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga.

Adele just stands and sings.

Out of modern celebrities with the 'X Factor' I would say I think - Johnny Depp, Lady Gaga, Ryan Reynolds and Michael Buble are amongst the few these days that have it in my opinion. I'd probably throw in Taylor Swift, Adele and Beyoncé..

@dayswithaY

How do you explain the success of Adele? She has now reached God-like status with every TV station here and in USA bowing down to her, Oprah interview, etc. This baffles me, what is it about her? Is she really any better at singing/performing than other current female singers?

To me, she doesn't have the X factor. That is a quality that draws you towards them like Kylie, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga.

Adele just stands and sings.

I think it's her singing, but also possibly the fact that she seems quite down to Earth and is naturally funny. The way she talks is the complete opposite of what you'd expect.

@dayswithaY

How do you explain the success of Adele? She has now reached God-like status with every TV station here and in USA bowing down to her, Oprah interview, etc. This baffles me, what is it about her? Is she really any better at singing/performing than other current female singers?

To me, she doesn't have the X factor. That is a quality that draws you towards them like Kylie, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga.

Adele just stands and sings.

I don't like her music at all but she's clearly an excellent singer, many grades above the likes of Ariane Grande or Taylor swift

@tinselandlights

That’s not really true though - take the 50’s for example. You had Brando, James Dean, James Stewart, Bogart, Robert Mitchum, and many more for men. Women - Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Sophie Loren etc.
Then in music there was Elvis, Chuck Berry, Sinatra, Dean Martin, Ray Charles etc.

And there’s way more as well.
Who today from this era (becoming famous in the last 10 or 15 years) can possibly compare with those people on charisma? They suck terribly in comparison.

If you asked someone in the 50s to name all the famous people that they could think of, there would be movie stars, Royal family, the odd politician and some sports stars. Ask someone in our time and the list would be endless. The rise in cheap reality TV like X factor, Big Brother, Towie, Made In Chelsea etc has tried to push normal every day people on us as "stars". The pool of endless names has watered down the quality of our entertainment. Even the professionals on Strictly Come Dancing are sometimes more famous than the "star" they are teamed with. We are so overrun with new faces that people have to be REALLY spectacular to shine.

I didn't really think much of lady gaga until I saw her in 'a star is born' that woman is very talented but I always thought she was just abit weird before

[quote dunroamingfornow]Corrine Bailey Rae's husband tragically died of an overdose at the height of her fame which I suspect led to her retreating from the limelight www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/methadone-killed-bailey-rae-s-husband-1208493.html[/quote]
I remember seeing her on the news at the time and it was as though the light had gone out of her. She was so beautiful and full of life and energy before.

@whatagloriousthingtobe

I didn't really think much of lady gaga until I saw her in 'a star is born' that woman is very talented but I always thought she was just abit weird before

She is a bit weird but that's partly why she is who she is. And she can bloody sing.

Freddie Mercury, Elton John in his prime

But these days how you look is so important in music. If he was a new artist today, the record company would be telling Freddie to get his teeth fixed etc.

@KatherineJaneway not for men, Ed Sheeran, Lewis Capaldi, Frank from Arctic Monkeys, they're hardly lookers. I think unfortunately this doesn't apply to many women, Amy Winehouse and Adele aren't conventionally attractive but they have a lot of talent and charisma. I think it has set them apart in a world of Ariana's.

I reckon half of the stars with the x factor wouldn't be famous now.

Take Bowie for instance. Amazing. Great singer, charismatic etc. But his look is wrong so he wouldn't get the air play.

I don't remember Dannii ever being a bigger star, though. Didn't Kylie become known for Neighbours, moved into singing and Dannii came on after that?

She was in Australia when they were young but Neighbours catapulted Kylie onto the international stage. I seriously doubt that Kylie would have even won a record deal without Neighbours - she was extremely fortunate that her character appealed to so many kids (me being on of them back in the 80s ).

Maybe it's just all been done to death now and we're not so taken in the same way. Constant 'news' coverage and SM has killed any mystique. The actors of the Hollywood Golden area were so far removed from the plebs, they were almost like royalty.

The actresses are even worse. I can’t remember a truly charismatic actress in the last ten years. Scarlet Johanson and Jessica Chastain for instance - good looking but zero X factor. Compare that to actresses from the 50’s, or 60’s or 70’s.

Toni Collette? Melissa McCarthy?

It’s the same with people in general though. Some people are just magnetic, whether or not they are considered attractive.

@covetingthepreciousthings

She used to seem down to earth. All the recent interviews I’ve read from her make her seem extremely vapid and self centred and like fame has gone to her head.

I mean giving all these public interviews about dumping her hubby like she wants a pity party for it? Please. And that new single where she asks her son to “go easy on her”? again save it for private you’ll only hurt and embarrass the poor boy. It’s bad enough she sung it but she also goes in depth on it in interviews saying how she had to be free and have fun etc. and her son would get to see her “fully loved”. Just seemed so vain and probably damaging for her kid to hear it all.

@CounsellorTroi

Not sure whether that’s sarcasm or not?
If not Melissa Mcarthy and Toni Colette aren’t exactly Grace Kelly and Katherine Hepburn are they?

@Megalameg

These days it’s true. Very few really charismatic (which is what I think X factor is) celebrities. Oh they’re good looking but not especially charismatic.

Hollywood actors for example - take Daniel Craig as James Bond, handsome? Sure. But nowhere near as charismatic as Connery. Then (since he plays similar action parts) take Chris Pratt and compare him to younger Harrison Ford - again nowhere near the same charisma.

The actresses are even worse. I can’t remember a truly charismatic actress in the last ten years. Scarlet Johanson and Jessica Chastain for instance - good looking but zero X factor. Compare that to actresses from the 50’s, or 60’s or 70’s.

Old Hollywood and the entertainment industry might have had a lot of abuse and sleaze behind the scenes but they also had charismatic stars and energy. The metoo era Hollywood is just bland, bland, bland. Sexless unmanly men and boring uptight women.

Completely agree. Scarlett and Jessica have as much charisma as a piece of wood.